Filter tips are becoming more widely used and more and more improved. Their efficiency has been increased and cigarette manufacturers place a great deal of emphasis on the efficiency of the filter tips on their cigarettes. However, users do not have the possibility of ascertaining the constitution of the filter tip without ripping and destroying it. Moreover, while filter tips are designed to remove certain noxious components in the smoke produced by combustion of the tobacco, there is no way of the user knowing whether in fact such components are being removed.